Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
We are now in month 3 of 2018.. how quickly is that going already! Im not sure if it is because we are counting down the days until April or that time is just going really quickly in general.
Back in January I wrote this blog post about my goals for 2018 and I thought today I would do a little catch up to see how I am getting on with them!
Healthy Eating:
It was one of my main goals during this pregnancy to not put a lot of weight on. I am very aware that I am already over weight and what I did not want to do was put on 2 or 3 stone and be even further away from my overall goal than I was before I got pregnant. Especially when you hear so many stories from people who say they have 'never lost their baby weight'. One of the main things that frustrated me was that my pregnancy, despite being healthy all the way through with no problems, was considered high risk from the moment I first saw my midwife due to my BMI.
I have continued with slimming world throughout my pregnancy and have put on a grand total (at 34 weeks pregnant) of 8 pounds which I am not gonna lie, I am pretty damn proud of. At our scan last week they projected that baby girl weighs around 5 pounds 10 and if you add all the water and other bits to that I would say 8 pounds is probably all baby! My 'lifestyle midwife' (separate from my normal midwife to just track my weight gain and lifestyle) discharged me last week and was ecstatic with my weigh gain, when I first saw her she said I shouldn't gain any more than 7kg and at weigh in with her last week I had gained a total of 2.5g.
Meal Planning:
Going well. I have even started to plan the meals enough to allow us to start double cooking portions (Cooking for 4 when I do evening meals or if its something like a rice or pasta dish even 6) meaning there is loads left over. What I have then been doing is freezing these meals so that when baby arrives we have some lovely slimming world meals all ready to hand that just need whacking in the oven or microwave. I am going to continue to do this as we have 2 freezers (one in our garage) so we have plenty of space to store them - even with my bulk buys of meat. I know we will be so grateful for these in the first couple of weeks after baby arrives and will mean we don't fall into the take away trap!
No unnecessary spending:
Im not gonna lie and tell you this one is going well as it isn't. Somehow a decaf costa latte seems to have snuck into my morning routine at work and needs to stop! Looking at my online banking there are also too many entries for the shop at work for lunches and lazy breakfasts! I did a really good food shop at the weekend and have batch cooked our lunches for the week. I only have 3 weeks left at work but if I don't take lunch to work and have a coffee every day you could be looking at a spend of at least £5 or £6 a day which even with the 4 day week I am doing now is £20 - £25! Thats £75 over 3 weeks! Madness!
Self Care and Mindset:
Again this isn't going as well as it could. I need to start taking some more time to myself.
Read More:
I currently have 2 books on the go; Giovanni Fletchers Happy Mum, Happy Baby and The Hypnobirthing Book by Katharine Graves. I have however finished neither yet and am about half way through both. I am yet to finish a book in 2018 yet so need to pull my finger out!
Proper skincare routine:
As I mentioned in my blog post here, it has been going well. I've ditched the micellar water and being making a conscious effort to take my make up off properly. At the moment I am using the Body Shop Cleansing Oil. I seem to have a stash of make up removing cleansers so I am trying to work my way through them! I'm still loving the products I mentioned in the above post and hopefully it will continue to go well!
Back in January I wrote this blog post about my goals for 2018 and I thought today I would do a little catch up to see how I am getting on with them!
Healthy Eating:
It was one of my main goals during this pregnancy to not put a lot of weight on. I am very aware that I am already over weight and what I did not want to do was put on 2 or 3 stone and be even further away from my overall goal than I was before I got pregnant. Especially when you hear so many stories from people who say they have 'never lost their baby weight'. One of the main things that frustrated me was that my pregnancy, despite being healthy all the way through with no problems, was considered high risk from the moment I first saw my midwife due to my BMI.
I have continued with slimming world throughout my pregnancy and have put on a grand total (at 34 weeks pregnant) of 8 pounds which I am not gonna lie, I am pretty damn proud of. At our scan last week they projected that baby girl weighs around 5 pounds 10 and if you add all the water and other bits to that I would say 8 pounds is probably all baby! My 'lifestyle midwife' (separate from my normal midwife to just track my weight gain and lifestyle) discharged me last week and was ecstatic with my weigh gain, when I first saw her she said I shouldn't gain any more than 7kg and at weigh in with her last week I had gained a total of 2.5g.
Meal Planning:
Going well. I have even started to plan the meals enough to allow us to start double cooking portions (Cooking for 4 when I do evening meals or if its something like a rice or pasta dish even 6) meaning there is loads left over. What I have then been doing is freezing these meals so that when baby arrives we have some lovely slimming world meals all ready to hand that just need whacking in the oven or microwave. I am going to continue to do this as we have 2 freezers (one in our garage) so we have plenty of space to store them - even with my bulk buys of meat. I know we will be so grateful for these in the first couple of weeks after baby arrives and will mean we don't fall into the take away trap!
No unnecessary spending:
Im not gonna lie and tell you this one is going well as it isn't. Somehow a decaf costa latte seems to have snuck into my morning routine at work and needs to stop! Looking at my online banking there are also too many entries for the shop at work for lunches and lazy breakfasts! I did a really good food shop at the weekend and have batch cooked our lunches for the week. I only have 3 weeks left at work but if I don't take lunch to work and have a coffee every day you could be looking at a spend of at least £5 or £6 a day which even with the 4 day week I am doing now is £20 - £25! Thats £75 over 3 weeks! Madness!
Self Care and Mindset:
Again this isn't going as well as it could. I need to start taking some more time to myself.
Read More:
I currently have 2 books on the go; Giovanni Fletchers Happy Mum, Happy Baby and The Hypnobirthing Book by Katharine Graves. I have however finished neither yet and am about half way through both. I am yet to finish a book in 2018 yet so need to pull my finger out!
Proper skincare routine:
As I mentioned in my blog post here, it has been going well. I've ditched the micellar water and being making a conscious effort to take my make up off properly. At the moment I am using the Body Shop Cleansing Oil. I seem to have a stash of make up removing cleansers so I am trying to work my way through them! I'm still loving the products I mentioned in the above post and hopefully it will continue to go well!
♥
Today I wanted to write a post inspired by a recent video of the lovely Estée (aka Essie Button previously) who posted THIS video on her channel this week.
I've said before there are not enough hours in the day but I there are so many things that you always want to make more time for. Today I want to share with you some of things I want to make more time for:
Exercise
Me and Adam have had gm memberships for around 3 months now and I don't think I could even tell you the last time we went. I want to make time in the week (time when I would otherwise be sat in front of the TV. The silly thing is I actually enjoy the gym when I get there it is just dragging my butt there...
Reading
I have a book shelf full of books I have never read. I want to read them. I want to get passionate about reading again. Even if it is just 15 minutes a day before bed I want to pick up a book. Let me know if you can recommend any good ones?
Cooking
Since I moved out I've got into cooking more than I did when I lived at home. Over the past couple of months I have been experimenting more and more with new meals. I want to continue to try different things instead of just going for the same quick options when we get in from work.
Blogging
Again something I've said many times. Even if I just pop on for 10 minutes a day and update you all on whats going on. I don't want this to be a place I don't update you on! Especially over the next 12 months or so, they are going to be very exciting what with the lead up to the wedding and then the honeymoon and then obviously we will have our first year as a married couple! I want to document all of this!
Being Offline
Adam and I made a deal that we would have date night once a week. This is usually a monday but if we are both busy like we were this week we pick another night. This doesn't have to be a night where we go out. It may just be a night where we curl up and watch a movie putting our phones and laptops down. However on other nights we get in the habit of sitting with our laptops on different sofas! More offline time (which would obviously make #2 easier)
I think 5 things is enough to go at for now. I want to work on these between now and the end of the year and then have a look at them again. As my life is reaching a new stage, I need to change the way I am doing things. So I am hoping this will kick start that!
I've said before there are not enough hours in the day but I there are so many things that you always want to make more time for. Today I want to share with you some of things I want to make more time for:
Exercise
Me and Adam have had gm memberships for around 3 months now and I don't think I could even tell you the last time we went. I want to make time in the week (time when I would otherwise be sat in front of the TV. The silly thing is I actually enjoy the gym when I get there it is just dragging my butt there...
Reading
I have a book shelf full of books I have never read. I want to read them. I want to get passionate about reading again. Even if it is just 15 minutes a day before bed I want to pick up a book. Let me know if you can recommend any good ones?
Cooking
Since I moved out I've got into cooking more than I did when I lived at home. Over the past couple of months I have been experimenting more and more with new meals. I want to continue to try different things instead of just going for the same quick options when we get in from work.
Blogging
Again something I've said many times. Even if I just pop on for 10 minutes a day and update you all on whats going on. I don't want this to be a place I don't update you on! Especially over the next 12 months or so, they are going to be very exciting what with the lead up to the wedding and then the honeymoon and then obviously we will have our first year as a married couple! I want to document all of this!
Being Offline
Adam and I made a deal that we would have date night once a week. This is usually a monday but if we are both busy like we were this week we pick another night. This doesn't have to be a night where we go out. It may just be a night where we curl up and watch a movie putting our phones and laptops down. However on other nights we get in the habit of sitting with our laptops on different sofas! More offline time (which would obviously make #2 easier)
I think 5 things is enough to go at for now. I want to work on these between now and the end of the year and then have a look at them again. As my life is reaching a new stage, I need to change the way I am doing things. So I am hoping this will kick start that!
♥
So here we are, another week and another challenge in the 2014 Blogger Challenge.
So this week Gabby wanted us to share with you all our most loved book (or a book we hate) - there are not many books I pick up and hate because to be honest I don't pick up many books that I know I won't enjoy. However when we were talking about our most loved books there was really only 1 book (or set of books that I could chat to you about).
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So this week Gabby wanted us to share with you all our most loved book (or a book we hate) - there are not many books I pick up and hate because to be honest I don't pick up many books that I know I won't enjoy. However when we were talking about our most loved books there was really only 1 book (or set of books that I could chat to you about).
I am not ashamed to admit that I am a Harry Potter fan, nerd.. whatever you want to call it! For me when anyone asks me what my favourite book is, this collection wins HANDS DOWN!
Now at 24 (nearly 25) and with the first Harry Potter book coming out in 1997 when I was all sweet and innocent at the age of 8 - Harry Potter made up quite a massive chunk of my childhood with 7 books - the last of which came out of 2007 when I was aged 18.
Now I owe all of my Harry Potter fandom to my mum. She brought the first book and I read it after she had finished and enjoyed it. I had and have always enjoyed reading but I had no idea when I picked up the Philosophers Stone at the tender age of 8 that I would be reading something that I would grow to love so much.
For those who have never read the Harry Potter books they can't see the fascination with it. For some it is just a children's book. Allow me to share something with you which may make you sit down and think...
Harry Potter starts with the double murder of 2 young people aged around 21 leaving behind their baby son who now becomes an orphan. Sent to live with his aunty and uncle who can't stand the sight of him, Harry grows up in what could only be described and abusive and neglectful conditions. Harry then goes to school where he and his friends prove that some things are worth fighting for and try to prove this while risking their lives to do so.
In the second book, there is a definite element of what in our society we would call racism with the way in which the attitude that because of who your parents are (pure blood wizard who has fully magical parents calling someone with non magical parents horrible names). An 11 year old girl is effectively groomed by a handsome charming teenage boy who she thinks she can trust. Also hints of slavery with the introduction of house elves.
In Book 3 Rowling touches on the idea that someone can be considered less human because of an illness he has. We see ways in which injustice can take over and how the justice system is often far from just.
In Book 4, we see the death of an innocent young person who dies just because he was in the way. Youngsters fighting against each other in a contest including one who despite the fact he is too young to compete is still made to.
In the 5th Book see the introduction of a woman who tortures a young boy for telling the truth and sets to destroy anyone who does not agree with the same views that she has. The loss of a father figure.
In Book 6 we discover the idea that killing destroys the soul. We gain the understanding that a child is conceived under the influence of drugs. Again the loss of a well loved father figure in a way we think is unexpected murder.
In the 7th and final book we are introduced to the idea that even those privileged in society can suffer. The closest thing you could understand to how it must feel to have those you love in danger through through the war of good and bad. The story comes around full circle with the death of a young couple with a baby son who becomes an orphan. We finally gain an understand that sometimes even if someone shows real hate towards you, their inner feels may actually not be true.
Ive couldn't even tell you how many times I have read the Harry Potter books and seen the Harry Potter movies. I have even been lucky enough the visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and the Studio tour near London. I know Harry Potter means a lot to a lot of people. For me, I have grown up laughing with the gang, crying at the death of much loved characters. The way in which JK Rowling writes really allows you to visualise your own world, even before Warner Brothers brought it to screen for us.
After ITV showed all of the movies over a few weeks at Christmas, it made me want to read the books all over again. It doesn't matter how many times I pick up these books, I still love reading them. I am currently enjoying the Goblet of Fire again and am sure that this won't be the last time I pick up and read them again. I am currently reading them on my iPad - purely our of convince because I can carry that easily in my handbag and read on the go but I have all of the books on my bookshelf and can not wait for the day when one day I can share them with my own children who I hope will love them as much as I do!
Are you a Harry Potter fan? What do you love about the Books?
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